Seamless hosiery.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.v

G. H, GILBERT.

SEAMLESS HOSIERY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI; 7, 1901,

C; IIL A@ l wmwmm liHn KILBQURN; Kruinrina naoninnooi/IBA Nr, or Anew BRUNSWICK@ new teaser...

knowripthat'lQjGnonGE H. GILBERT, a

the'k lfzfitates, residing' at Gerin'the county of Philadelphia and 'oflljenn'sylvariimyhave invented certain make and use the same.

My invention relates' to machine-made seamless hosiery,and"jhas for its Vobject an improved. ornamental v'effect which manufacturers have heretofore been unable to secure. Hitherto manufacturers of ornamental seamless hose and half-hose have been able to make ornamental open-Work on thefront of the leg, ankle, and foot only. I am, however, able to produce articles of this class having the ornamental open-work around the entire leg, the said open-Work on the front preferably extendingl down over the ankle and onto the foot.

ln the drawing I- have shown a stocking or half-hose embodying my invention, the ribbed portion of the stocking'being shown in section and the upper port-ion of the leg in slight perspective to show' the lacework at regular intervals around the stocking.

tln the said drawing, A. designates the leg of the stocking, A the ribbed top, and B the foot, of the stocking. The entire leg of the stocking isformed of plain knitted sect-ions d, united by interposed open-work sections e.

The ribbed portion ofthe legis knitted upon d a' 'rib-knitting machine in the usual manner and is then transferred in the customary Away to a plain-knitting machine, preferably one having narrowing and widening devices. The remainder' of the stocking is then knitted upon such machine, the loops'of each course being formed in this inst-ance in the following manner: Starting at the point X and passing to the right, four regular loops are first formed. The thread is4 then carried across the space of one or more regular loops to another series of plain loops, forming straight crossing threads f, three innumber in this instance. The thread is then carried across another space of one or more regular loops to another section of regular loops, four in number, and this is continued entirely around the leg. This form of knitting is sometimes skilled Iin .tliejartto which l.it appertains tov termed the i NRicheliey rib.

` The knit-ting may be effected by either removing one or more needles to form the spaces for t e crossthreads on the front of the machine or by inserting, as l prefer, for such spaces needles havin a straight upper end instead of being 'provi ed with the usual latch and hook.

To form the spaces for the cross-threads at the back 4of the stocking, I provide the needles for such cross-thread spaces withl nibs of double the ordinary length. `A pivoted cam, which willl act only unon the needles having the eXtra-length nibs, is a Well-known Way. Before the r1 bed top is applied to the machine the pivoted camis turned, and the needles having the extralength nibs are thrown down belowthe point by having their nibs carried down into a straight groove below `the knitting-cams. The ribbed top is then transferred to this knitting-machine, nthe stitches of the ribbed part in line with the open-Work beine' placed upon the needles at the sides of such space.` The stocking is then knitted down to the heel, and at the same time that the narrowing and widening is begun the pivoted cam is turned and the eXtra-nibbed needles are thrown into action. This is continued until the toe is finished, when the operation is repeated. The open spaces on the front of the stocking may also be provided by throwing the needles for such spaces out of operation, as at the back of the stocking, for the ext-cnt to which the open-work is desired, and then thrown into operation to complete the stocking. 'In such case where both back and front needles are thrown out. of and into operation one or more courses of plain loops maybe knit at the top of the leg before throwing the needles out of operation to form the open-work and may be thrown into operation before the toe is knitted to form courses of plain loops between the open-work portion and the toe. This is more especiallydesirable when knitting full hose or ladies stockings. In this case the hein or welt iluishing the stocking at the top and the short seam closing and completing the stocking are .made in the usual way, and the stocking is stronger and more durable at the points mentioned.

The stocking may be made ol' onecontinnous thread, or the leg and foot may be made of one thread and the heel and toe'of another,

lirovided in IOO and from 'of the leg' of the stockinghprovided with open-Worklhaving dro -stito or the leg and foot may be niade of tWo or more threads and vthe heel and toe of anto forni various patterns to suit the taste of thel maker.

What claim, and desire lto seoiire by Letl ters Patent, is-

1.- A machine-knit seamless stockngknit in one continuous operation having the back es there# in, substantially as describe 2. A machine-knit seamless stocking having the back andv front of the leg of thestocking-*provided with open-Work, the heel, botoomposed of solid plain knitting and the tom vof thev foot and toe ofthe stocking being l thread or threads of the foot portion ofthe stocking being continuousivith the thread orl threads of the leg, substantially( as described.

3;. machine-knit seamless stookingvknit in one continuous operation, having the back y and front of the leg of the stocking provided With open-Work forming part ol'l the web of the stocking, substantially as described. other. .The number 'of plain lools in the ,plain sections may also be varie 4. A machine-knit seamless stocking having the-back as Well as the front of the leg of the stocking ornaniented with openwork forming a part of the web of the stocking, the open-Work on the front of the stocking eX- tendin down upon the top of the ankle `and foot o the stocking,V substantially as described.

5. A machine-knit seamless stockin'g knit in one continuous operation, having the back and frontl of the leg Aof the stocking orna- 'rnented with open-Work forming apart ofthe vWeb. of the stocking,l the open-Work on the front extending down -upon the top of the .ankle and the foot of the stocking, substan- -vtially as described.

I n testimony whereof InaffiX vmy signature in the presenceof twowitnes'ses.

Witnesses:

J. W. KILBOURN, CHAR-Liss H..WEIss.`

GEORGE GlLBERT. 

